Talons of Darkness
by LadyLackless
Summary: Because when Heaven and Hell Fall it shall be the children of both who must rebuild what once was and must be... R&R T for mild violence


_**Talons of Darkness**_

_**Because when Heaven and Hell Fall it shall be the children of both who must rebuild what once was and must be...**_

_Chapter One_

_An Explosion to far..._

Rose burst into the kitchen like a fighter plane. Her deep brown locks fringed a face of pure determination as she tackled her latest attempt at Crème Brule. Then an explosion shook the small house. She sighed.

"Be careful Jason or you'll kill the boy!" She yelled at her husband. Who, along with her 14 year old son, Aken, and their cat, was lying in what had been a shed but was now nothing but a pile of splintered wood, now bubbling blue liquid and shards of crystalline glass.

"We are careful mum it's just... well we weren't even doing anything, you see stuff just blows up a lot around me lately." Replied Aken defensively. Though she didn't believe him Rose would never learn that the legacy that should have ended with her burned through the veins of the white haired teen lying in the mud.

Once they were clean Aken decided to go for a walk in the forest that bordered Mount Corunus with Tallon their cat. They were deep in the forest when they finally found what they had come for, Corunus Lake.

"Race you Talon!" Aken yelled running into the water leaving his black coat on the bank. He hit the water with a huge splash only to find Tallon had beaten him. This is strange, He thought. But now that was ignored as he swam over to his little island. In the middle of the lake there was an island. He liked to call it Teardrop because of it tear like shape and of the bluish hue of the soil. He sat with Tallon on the chair like boulder he had carved. Boy and Cat. Man and Beast. As they dried off Aken contemplated his problems. Number one on his list is the strange occurrences that seamed to always happen when he was around. Number two was his Mum. She had always been weak but lately she had been getting worse. His dad was due to go on a raid to Slanke Valley. The valley existed between Mounts Vitar and Slanke and inside there were the Hexe. The Hexe were witches and 'fallen ones'. They had ever been at war with the humans on the other side of Mount Slanke and my father was the head of the Kario Army. Talon curled up beside him and he felt himself drifting off and before he knew it, it was too late and he was surrendered to the undying beauty of his dreams still in the middle of the forest but as he looked around he noticed it was night time. His dad ….

Then he felt a blinding pain on the back of his head and abruptly sat up. He was had already left.

"Damn…" he muttered, "Talon!" he shouted out into the darkness. Nothing came. Then he saw her. She was lying upon the chair like rock but looked as cold as death. He picked her up and felt her heart beat against his own. She was deeply unconscious. Then reunited once more they trudged home. He reached the clearing that housed their home. Then his world was torn apart. A tall figure dressed in a green overcoat and trousers was bent over the lifeless body of his mother. In its hand was a long blood covered knife. Aken placed Talon on the ground, his hands shaking with anger and started to run towards the stranger.

"Now Aken don't hurt yourself my dear Demigora, I will need you soon." The stranger's voice was silky smooth and cold, ice cold.

But his mind he saw nothing but the anger inducing image of his mother lying there never to smile again. Once he was in a few meters the stranger fled into the forest, dropping the knife as he ran. Aken followed with one path intended, a path of revenge.

_Chapter2_

_Mount Vitar_

Aken followed the stranger for hours until they reached the southern part of Corunus River. Then the figure seamed to fade into the water, Aken blinked. His thoughts racing as he searched for a logical answer. The stranger might have been a Hexe or a 'fallen one' but that was unlikely. Individual Hexe rarely left their valley even in the days of peace, and the 'fallen ones' never left, so why now. Or the stranger might have just been an apparition or ghost, or maybe it could have been another human. But why would a human take the dangerous journey across mount Corunus just to kill his mother and even if they were human why did they disappear?

_Trick of the light? No impossible. Isn't it? _

Aken needed answers and knew the only place to find them was at the little cottage. He resented the fact he needed to return, but understood the importance of his mother's burial. Since his dad was gone it fell to him to perform the ritual. He dry-swallowed and wondered how he could survive it. As he wondered through the forest morning broke through the umbrella that was the trees and bathed everything in a warm glow. The sight usually fascinated Aken and he would stop and admire the play of the light on all around him. But not today, Aken ignored everything for all the beauty in the world could not lift the burden the unknown stranger had placed upon his heart.

As he broke through the cover of the trees he noticed that his mother's body was gone. Shocked he ran strait to the last spot where she had lain. No trace of the murder remained no body, no blood and no knife. He ran into the house his mind running through the single possibility he had hoped for. That it was all a dream. But reality wasn't going down without a fight and death has no forgiveness. The house was empty. No mum. No dad. But wait there was someone. She who had always been there, she was Talon. Aken picked her up and, despite her protests, took her upstairs. There Aken packed his rucksack. He had subconsciously decided to go and find his dad but to do that he needed to take the short but fatal journey through Slanke Valley. Through the land of the Hexe and the land of _Demons_...

_Chapter 3_

_The Truth_

Aken and Talon had been travelling for many days before they reached the battle grounds. There was where the greatest battle that ever was had taken place. Over one hundred years ago the combined armies of Malow, Flornia and Maltos had driven the Hexe and 'fallen ones' out of their lands and into the unforgiving valley that to this day remains in eternal twilight. As they reached the grounds Aken felt the remaining tremors of lost lives echoing through the field. He stopped, this place held so much sorrow it was overpowering. Aken dropped his bag on the ground and sat down.

"Am I losing my mind Talon?" He asked, it was a rhetorical question and by all the gold in the land he expected not an answer.

"No, of course not, you're just learning of your Anleihe or of your bond." Talon replied looking up at him with her scarlet eyes. Aken yelped and jumped up only to trip over and fall on his head.

"What, don't, Oh, Hell, You….You…..You couldn't…..I am going mad!" He spluttered starring at her with his wide violet eyes.

"Why not? Because I'm a _cat_, for that matter I believe you to be wrong. I'm a _Raposa_, and I may speak." She replied most dignified. Raposa were mythical foxes. They were always at the edge of legends and were the original owners of Magic. They only shared their secrets with the Hexe after Markus (Ruler of Fyne) had them burnt for his evening entertainment. It was they who had convinced the Hexe to keep the 'fallen ones' or the _Demons_ in Slanke valley.

"Hey then you'll know about what that stranger meant... You can help me. But I have a question." Aken still thought he was going crazy. _Better make the most of my insanity._

"I shall help you Aken but what of your question?"

"Why? Oh by the almighty God why?"

"I came because of our Anleihe, because of our bond and that man was Sevan. He killed your mother because she was an Angel she fled from heaven once your _true _father had found her, you are the only male Demigora ever to be born and are destined to save the Hexe from Sevan. And restore the Angels to their place and return the damned to Hell." Then with a blur of gold she leaped off of the stone she had sat on and continued to walk across the field. Aken followed deeply confused.

"What did you mean by true father? What is a Demigora?" Talon sighed and replied,

"Jason isn't your father Aken. A Demon by the name of Karu is. A Demigora is a Demon and Angel mix breed if you like." At this Aken fell silent. His father, a demon?

His mother an Angel? When they eventually reached the edge of the battle grounds they were met by a large green creature with a red patch on top of its head, it glared at them maliciously. How dare they cross his blood ground! Talon growled and her fur stood on end. Aken was about to ask what was the hold up when Talon spoke.

"Red-Cap!" She hissed.

The creature bared its teeth and clawed at air. Then it ran at Aken, Aken panicked and kicked out. He struck the Red-Cap in the stomach and sent it flying. It hit a boulder with a crunch and came back at Aken, who this time couldn't escape. It struck opening several gashes along his arms and pushed him to the ground. As his head hit the ground stars appeared in is vision. Then Aken saw the creature raise a small dagger and aim it at his heart. Then a strange icy sensation ran through Aken and he was filled with the desire of self preservation. Then the Red-Cap was blasted away by a wall of purple energy. Aken felt the strange sensation fade and sat up. The Red-Cap was up against a cracked boulder and looked unconscious. For the first time in his life Aken was aware of a strange part of himself deep within his heart. A part of himself that he had subconsciously locked away, but had now returned. The Demigora within himself, as he explored this new part of his consciousness he felt all around him, the ants, the grass, the birds and Talon. Talon was most prominent, he felt he thoughts, her emotions and her heart beat. There it was in perfect synchronisation with his. He felt alive.

"You understand me now?" Talon Asked.

"Yes now I understand." And his voice was filled with wonder.

_Chapter4_

_Demigora_

They reached the forest of Kial just as the sun should have risen. It didn't for they were now upon the eternal twilight of Slanke Valley. Talons heart raced with anticipation and Aken felt his own speed up. His blood burned with an ancestral memory he ran forth and Talon followed. All was still and silent around them until a snarling wildcat jumped out at them. Talon immediately ran forward and snapped at its leg. Aken felt a desire to help as he saw Talon slammed into the ground by the wildcat's powerful jaws. Its powerful claws tearing through the flesh of her stomach, then without thinking he stepped forwards and hands splayed yelled,

"Deixar" as he spoke a silver mist shrouded the wildcat and he hoped it had gone and to his surprise it had. Then he ran to Talons side feeling the pain through Anleihe.

"Talon!" He yelled willing for her to be ok. She looked up smiling her foxy (literally) smile.

"I'm fine no need to be a stubborn old worrywart, anyhow was there any need to help me. I was fine!"

_Ok, first it talks and now it's giving attitude. What next?_

"Yes that thing was ripping you apart, and don't lie I felt it." A stream of insults came through their Anleihe.

"Who dares harm Ripclaw?" A powerful but soft voice came from the deeper parts of the valley. Aken picked Talon up, holding her protectively to his chest.

"Aken, Aken son of Karu!" Proclaimed Talon her voice carrying throughout the forest, a deadly silence followed and then from the darkness a young woman came. Now it was his turn to send the insults. The woman's hair was braded and dark her eyes a dancing red. She moved seamlessly through the foliage, the wildcat, Ripclaw, followed its golden eyes flashing in the twilight. Then the woman spoke,

"You are son of Karu and Rose? Then you have come for us, you're the Demigora! I am Kara daughter of Sylvia!" She said shaking with excitement.

"I came _here_ for no one. I'm just trying to find my dad, and a certain man. We have some…erm… _family_ matters to attend to." He replied. The woman didn't seam to notice she grabbed his hand and then there was an explosion of light, Aken felt the world around him changing, and felt Talon changing. Then he was lying on the floor in the midst of a camp. There was the smell of burnt fur in the air. He could hear the woman speaking with another,

"Ell hav kumn, i la força Raposa!" she said with much energy in her voice. Aken was deeply confused, until Talon's mind and his melded together,

"_She says 'He has come and his Raposa' and by the way I do in no way belong to you it's a figure of speech!" _

"Attitude" Aken muttered, and got a nasty nip from Talon in reply. He sat up, his mind at once becoming his own and turned to the two women standing to his right. He felt the strange energies around them and instantly knew. He was in the presence of Hexe. He froze what had they called him? Demigora? How did they know? The other woman was tall and had Kara's dark hair but it was free flowing and upbraided. Her eyes were dark and reminded him of his mothers, he felt his chest tighten. Talon noticed this, and not wanting her Anleihe-bound-friend-Aken to bear the weight of his pain alone, leaped up onto his lap and cuddled up to him, he held her. Talon felt terrible for she was convinced that if she had not looked for him as Sylva had warned her that Rose would still be alive. She felt selfish and cruel, and she felt Aken's pain doubling her own and realised in trying to help those she loved she only made it worse for them all. She closed the Anleihe before Aken could notice her thoughts. _He doesn't need more problems. _

"Kumn….Aken I la força Raposa." The dark eyed woman's voice was silky smooth and had a strange familiarity to it but Aken couldn't detect what. He followed without a fuss taking Talon with him. They walked into the never-ending twilight of the forest and Aken felt his heartbeat quicken. This was _holy_ land. He felt the steady beat of energy coming from, what seamed to be everything yet nothing. He felt a desire to run into the darkness and never leave. He quickly repressed it; he needed to leave, fast. Kara began to slow and Aken could sense several new presences, but there were some that were like Kara and Sylva's and some very different, with too much power to be human. They didn't take long to arrive at the clearing. It was huge and housed several small cottages. A pang of homesickness hit him like a brick. Talon winced beside him and he felt her guilt, this confused him. _You have nothing to feel guilty for._ She wasn't convinced, _It' my fault for returning to you, I am selfish._ Another wave of guilt mixed with self loathing. Now Aken was angry. _No it's not, Sevan would have probably come anyway and even so don't blame yourself I was the one who left her alone even though she was weak._ They closed the Anleihe and their unspoken conversation went unnoticed as they stepped into the Sentura village.

_Chapter 5_

_Training and a Quest_

Upon his first day of arriving the Hexe, female Demigora and Demons had convinced him to stay. Kara was ecstatic when he told her and began to explain the workings of Sentura. Most the females were Hexe, all the human males had been born outside of the valley, there were other Demigora to but they were all girls and Aken felt it best to avoid them, the human females and Hexe children fled whenever he was near and most of the few male Demons spat at his feet, open animosity rolling off of them in waves. He made friends with Kara, a nice Demigora called Lyanne and a Demon-boy called Davilo. They chatted and shared stories of their past lives, with all of them being from outside the valley apart from Kara. Little did they know that at the precise time they were talking, a female Demon was speaking with a green clothed _**man.**_ The man's voice was silky smooth and dark, it had been too dark for Crystal's liking when she first heard it. But by this point she told him everything with a smile, for he had broken her mind and twisted her to evil. The secrets were all concerning the partly awakened _male_ Demigora; the man smiled and went to prepare for battle.

Meanwhile Lyanne and Davilo had begun to tutor Aken in živelný or elemental control. He excelled at it and soon would be perfect Kara thought as she watched. She wasn't wrong. Within two weeks Aken could tear a tree apart with a thought, and Talon had rid the Valley of the Blitz wulfen clan and they all prayed that Aken and Talon could rid them of Sevan but first they had to ask him. They elected Kara for the task for she and Aken had grown close.

During midsummer's night she was sitting with him by the lake and decided to try her luck.

"Aken, Talon I have something to ask on behalf of mine people, May I?" She said her voice quaking at the wrong time.

"Ask away," Aken said shivering as his feet dipped into the water.

"Yes continue," Replied Talon, impassive as ever.

"Sevan comes with a wish to kill us. Crystal betrayed us, he discovered where we are, and he is going to kill us all. He is the Vanque and mine people's enemy, help us. Please I beg of you help us!" she burst into tears. Aken hugged her and there they sat in the darkness of the never ending twilight.

"We will." He and Talon pledged.

The next day he advanced to finding the true form within himself. Lyanne and Davilo were both young and had only recently found their true forms. To Aken it was a terrifying thought. A Demon's true form is inherited so Davilo had his father's wings and horns, but a Demigora's true form is a flesh version of their soul and is prone to change with the Demigora as they grew and experienced new things. Aken was still having trouble calling upon that side of him. He had found it but whenever he tried to let it flood his mind it fled. It was like playing cat and mouse only he was blind and looking for a speck of dust. Lyanne sighed, again.

"Just don't fear or shun it let it become a part of you." Davilo was shouting at a totally stressed out Aken, which Lyanne observed was not the best thing to be doing to possibly the most powerful being in existence that side of Föhr. She was right for at that Aken uprooted a nearby spruce and used his powers to hit Davilo across the head with it effectively knocking him out. Aken turned to her and smiled.

"Can you help me?" He asked, and Talon attempted to face-palm and failed. Her paw just didn't reach that far. She sighed and walked over to sit with Kara under the cliff-tree. They called it the Cliff-tree because it was just on the edge of a cliff overlooking the waterfalls (a result of The Corunus River) and Lake Slanke. It was a breathtaking sight to sit among the branches of the tree and gaze upon the eternal twilight over the still lake. She sighed why couldn't the Hexe have given the oak a more ... interesting name? She didn't know. Kara smiled down at her with a hint of a challenge in her eyes. Talon laughed at that, she and Kara had their own little war going on, as a past time they would challenge each other to tests and games to see who was the best. It was stupid and childish but it was more fun than watching Aken standing in the middle of a clearing looking constipated.

"Oak tree climbing?" Kara asked a cheeky grin spreading across her face, Talon smiled back – all teeth – and got ready to pounce.

"Looser has to tell Aken he looks constipated _and_ deal with the consequences without retaliating!" Talon yelled and leaped at the same time, Kara followed suit. Soon they were both at the top of the tree.

"I won!" Talon proclaimed with her voice filled with pride, Kara scowled,

"I won!" She yelled back at the surprised Raposa. Then playfully Talon leaped at her shoving Kara back with her paws, she totally forgot about the cliff and accidentally threw her entire weight at Kara. The scream was heard across the valley as Kara fell. Aken saw her falling and time seemed to slowdown. The icy sensation filled his body again, but this time he didn't reject it, he let it take over. He felt two long lines of white hot pain flare down his back and gritted his teeth, he knew what was happening and Lyanne had said it would hurt. But she didn't say it would hurt _that_ much. The skin on his hands started to crawl as his fingers elongated and his nails grew strong and sharp. He felt his entire body grow, and his spine splintering and realigning to accommodate for his wings and the rest of his bones protesting as they were dislocated and healed as the rest of him grew a good foot and a half. As soon as the pain stopped he darted forwards with inhuman speed, and leaped off the cliff. The entire ordeal took one second, but that could mean death for Kara and Aken knew that. Lyanne yelled as he leaped off the cliff diving for Kara, before transforming herself and leaping after him. Her wings were a pure silver colour and her ginger hair whipped by the wind as she dived, silver eyes flashing with annoyance. At that point Aken remembered one flaw in his training. Neither Lyanne nor Davilo had taught him to fly. After a millisecond of panic instinct took over and he grabbed Kara pulling her into a bear-hug before snapping his wings open and using them to catch on an updraft and soar harmlessly to the edge of the lake, before taking off again. His wings worked a steady rhythm but it eventually began to slow as his shoulders sagged from carrying so much weight. Then Lyanne swooped in to help him she grabbed Kara and flew up onto the cliff. Aken followed relived to be free of his burden. He collapsed unconscious as soon as his feet touched solid ground. Talon had by now climbed out of the oak and ran over to him,

"Aken! " She called for him with both the Anleihe and her voice, but stopped just before him. It was her fault. She had helped awaken him, yes. But under life threatening circumstances, he didn't know how to fly and even though he had managed to figure it out on instinct, it had still been her who had (accidentally) pushed Kara off the cliff. _My fault... it's always my fault..._

Aken groaned and stat up rubbing his head grumbling. Talon let out a relived sigh, just as Lyanne and Kara came running over with big smiles plastered across their faces. Lyanne had already transformed back into her human guise.

"What you smiling at?" Aken muttered, clearly annoyed at the fact that the two girls thought that this was all funny. "You nearly became a Hexe pancake Kara, and Lyanne it's your fault entirely that I'm like this. HOW could you forget to tell me how to fly?"

The girls just burst into giggles, rolling across the floor. Aken rolled his eyes,

"Girls" he said shaking his head. When Lyanne had sobered up, she inspected Aken's new form. He stood at 6"2, long slender claws at the ready and with two long angelic wings folded gracefully at his back. Lucky for him his trousers had survived the transformation but the same couldn't be said for his shirt. When she noticed, Kara turned bright red and turned away to sit under the nearby ash tree Talon had hidden behind. Lyanne however was too busy measuring his wings and height to notice or even care. She had more important things to be concentrating on, especially the colour of his wings, hair and eyes. She decided to consult her books before jumping to conclusions but she had a bad feeling about what she would discover. Red wings. White hair. Violet eyes. What could it all mean? She started humming of key and started to leave. Just before she reached the cover of the trees, she turned back to them and shouted,

"I need to go and check something, get Dav to teach you how to fly and change back! Later on I'll need to speak to you, all of you." Then she sprinted into the trees. Aken turned around but couldn't see Talon or Kara, for they were still behind the ash, sleeping. Her near death experience had left Kara drained and Talon was always looking for an excuse to sleep. Davilo however was still unconscious under the spruce. Aken hauled it off of him, and poked him in the back of the head.

"Davilo are you dead?" He asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Yes now go away and leave the dead in peace!" Davilo said as melodramatically as he could muster, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. Aken kicked him hard. Growling Davilo stood, looked at Aken and immediately fell over. This time it was Aken growling,

"Get up! I don't wanna have to walk around like this all day! It's creeping me out!"

"Okay, okay keep you're wings on!" He got up and stared at Aken for longer than was considerer polite. "W-O-W" He stretched the words into three syllables. Aken hit him hard on the forehead. Luckily Davilo wasn't knocked out this time.


End file.
